Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1887-03-02
BEECHER DEATH.STRICKEN.
he Blow Came So Gradually Its Seri-
BUSINESS Was Not Recognized
at First.
Nr. Beccher Unconscious Most or the
j lime and the End Almost Hourly
Expected.
STRICKEN DOWN.

STRICKEN DOWN.
MIR BEECaER DYING.
New YORK, Special Telegram, Marcn o.
The apoplectic stroke which the rev henry
WaId Beechcr's physicians have long leareo
came to-day with sudden and startling Ell
feet There were, of course, preliminary
symptoms running through THURSDAY ana
Friday, but no one reco%hlAe" III
them anything but trih!ng illness, and
the blow CAME ut last with Ihe lorce
aud horror OF an unexpected bolt. There Is,
in fact, little if any hope Of the great preach
crs recovery. He may linger until sunday
morning or Monday, with even some CON
&c ousness and show of life, but beyond That
the doctors in attendance can at preseh6
give no assurance, and at late hour TO-
NIGHT appearances indicated that Plymouth's
pastor would die on the Sabbath Mr.
Beecher has been i'll since Thursday
Ito had been in this city the greater
mart of the dav and went to his sons house
in brooklyn late in the afternoon with
feeling of nausea. BY the time he reached
the house he seemed quite Frustrated br
W, S Searle, who has been his family physi-
clan for years, was summoned In Audubon
to nausea and headache the doctor found
Mr. Baecher suffering from soreness about
The throat and chest to such an ex-
tent that he feared an attack OF
pneumonia These symptoms quickly
passed away and he grew better, but when
he went to bed he complained or a severe
pain in the head. After a while he dropped
OF 10 sleep, but awoke at intervals all
through the night Toward morning he
vomited considerably. Mrs Beecher re-
manned in constant ate ndance upon him all
night After daylight he began to improve,
and by the time the doctor called he was
better Through Friday his condition was
favorable, quoting all alarm felt by the
family He did not feel well enough to get
M, however, and was compelled to remain
away from the prayer meeting on Friday
night
NUMEROUS INQUIRIES
were made about his illness after the meet
ing, but as the family and physician felt
sure that everything would be all right in
few DAYS, no general alarm was caused
This morning however, q sudden change for
the worse took place. It was of such an
alarming character that DR.. William A. Ham
mond of this city was hastily summoned He
and Dr. Searle made an examination, and de-
clarcd that Mr.. Beecher was suffering from
an apopIectic attack. He lay in q semi
comatose condition, but was reused by the
efforts of the doctors. Neither consciousness
nor his unfailing sense of humor had quite
forsaken HIM.
Can you raise your arm, Mr.. Beecher?" asked
DR.. Hammond
yes, guess so" came the low reply.
How high can you raise II
We'll, high enough to hit you, doctor. said
the clergyman. with feeble smile.
He did not seem TO be suffering any pain,
and when approached by Mrs Beecher and
other members of the family he looked up
as though he recognized them and knew
what was going on Later on in the after
noon, however, he closed his eyes and sunk
into partial Inconsistencies. Mrs. Beecher
and Dr. Hammond were standing by his
bedside discussing in whispers the
chances of saving his life, when
Mrs Beecher suddenly suggested
that perhaps her husband understood
what they were saying The doctor told her
to ask him, and bending low Mrs Beecher
said: Henry, Henry, do you know what we
said about you?" MI. Beecher seemed to
make supreme effort His lips Enclosed,
and his breath came more quickly His right
hand opened and closed convulsively
and at last murmur of words came forth
that fell upon ears strained to the utmost
But the eyes never opened: "You-were-say-
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES" was the dis
jointed sentence so painfully uttered Then
STRANGE THING HAPPENED.
The words seemed as if spoken in a dream,
but the shadow of q smile tluttered across
the noble mouth only to vanish into an
expression almost of indifference. The in
tonation of Mr. Beechers voice expressed
absolute Indifference, as if he spoke of the
chances of life and death of an entire
stranger. There was neither hope nor hope
lessness; neither gladness or sorrow. These
were the last words he uttered. The story
of Mr.. Beecher's alarming condition was not
made known until after noon, and even then
it travelled slowly. There have been 80
many groundlcss rumors about his health
within the last few years that few were dis
posed to credit what was said about it
to-day. A visit to his house in Hicks
street, however, showed that it was
true The first bulletin was issued at 8
O'clock. 1t was pinned to the front door,
and stated that Mr.. Beecher haG an attack
of apoplexy; that he was suffering no pain,
and that bulletins would be issued hourly
SUNDAY KILOGRAMS.
With the second visit of Dr. W. A. Ham
mond to the Plymouth pastors residence,
Brooklyn. to-day, the last lingering hope OF
Mr.. Beechers recovery was abandoned DR..
Hammond was driven to the house at 2:30
D. III. He found his illustrious patient in
state of profound coma So complete was
the paralysis of the sensorial nerves that
when the physician pinched the flesh of the
left side until his nails met, Mr.. Beecher
failed to evince the faintest evidence of
pain. Even when DR.. Hammond lifted the
left eyelId and pressed with his finger the
eyeball, the delicate muscles did not twitch.
similar experiment on the right eye, how
ever, produced slight shrinking and mus
cular contraction, but there was no evidence
of active sensibility. The act of swallow
ing was attended with even greater diff
Guilty than on Saturday and the desire for
food was gone. The throbbing of the heart
was intermittent-that is,every third, fourth
or fifth pulsation failed to complete it's
action, and it was only a question of few
hours before every second pulsation would
be suspended until the heart was stilled for
ever.
Mr.. Beecher will never know this earth again.
at least not to mortal sense" said DR.. Hammond
on his return from Brooklyn; The recognizes no
one about him. and makes no responses of any
kind to questions addressed 10 him..
Does he feel any pain, or even physical dis
quietude?"
None whatever; it is such death as would
like to suffer, only less protracted: blood ves-
sci of the brain has ruptured This might have
resulted from any sudden exertion, not neces-
sarily severe If the blood vessel was already worn
by years of mental activity that had ceas-
lessly kept the minute and threadllke tissues of
the cerebrellum pleGhoric with blood 1t is true
that the patient may recover If the attack is not
of the sevcrest kind, but not through any medi-
cnes that we can give him. Mr.. Beecher's case
Is not different from many others have been
called upon to diagnose Nothing can
be done beyond keeping him perfectly
quiet, his head well elevated and
In a room, when possible, where the temperature
Is about 90 deg. and thoroughly ventilated. MIR.
Beecher is being nourtshed solely by stimulants
which must be used with caution. gave him
hypodermicallv an injection Of brandy. which
would have made healthy man wildly intoxi-
Gated, but which produced no effect upon him.
DIR. W. Tod Helmuth, who was called in
consultation to Mr.. Beecher to-day said on
his return to his home in the city:
when reached Mr.. Beechers bedside at half
past ! o'clock he was entirely unconscious; his
breathing was stertorous and his face was pur-
pie. The pupils of his ewes failed to respond to